The Ocean's Call: Part One | ✔

Part Twenty Two

Despite not having a full comprehension of the whole mate thing I know that would suck. I don't like the idea of never being full complete. I'd felt like that for the better part of my life, I only just started feeling whole recently. Being a mermaid feels right, something about it I can just feel right to my core so why can't Austin being my mate be the same thing.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks.

I blink, focusing my gaze on him. He's burger is half gone now. I open my mouth ready to tell him before I close it, wondering if I should keep that to myself. I don't know where the desire comes from, the one where I tell him everything truthfully. There is nothing wrong with a white lie here and there, lord knows I've done it several times before. Strange that my first instinct is to just tell him whatever he's asking to know.

"I'm puzzled." I admit.

He raises a brow. "About the rejection stuff? Or something else?"

"Something else. How exactly does being around your mate effect oneself?"

"What do you mean?" he puts his burger down and finishes off his fries.

I finally pick my wrap back up, taking a small bite before deciding I'm definitely done eating. "I've just realised something peculiar. I don't want to lie to you."

He laughs. "Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

I smile, yes, it is a good thing. You shouldn't lie but there is a difference between brushing something off and actually telling what's going on in your head. There's a desire to tell him everything going on in my head. I wonder if the bracelet has anything to do with that. I know that it dulls my senses, but does it increase this desire because he can't hear my thoughts. I can't project them, like I did at the bar.

"It is a good thing but that's not what I meant. You asked me what I was thinking, and I was about to tell you, like actually tell you. It took a little effort to divert myself."

He nods like he understands. I frown, does he actually understand what I mean though. "I know what you're talking about. I've had it too."

"Could it be because we can't hear each other's thought anymore?"

He smiles. "You mean the bond. Ah it could be a possibility."

"Like we're finding other ways to communicate."

"It's possible."

I flick the bracelet on my hand. I wonder what would happen if I just took it off right now. Would he have his guard up or would I get an immediate look into his head? Would he get a good look inside my head? Probably, I have no practice on keeping anyone out of it. This bracelet is doing all the work for me.

"You can teach me how to keep my thoughts to myself, can't you?" I ask.

He stares at me unblinking before nodding. "Yeah, it's not really that hard but you should keep the bracelet on until we know what the mermaid wants. Remember?"

Oh yeah. I let go of the bracelet as if it singed me. I completely forgot about that for a moment. I got very one tracked mind for a moment there. I was filtering through different versions of what would happen without the bracelet on. At least one of us has a clear head still.

He wipes his mouth with a napkin and nods to my drawing pad. "Can I look?"

He wants to look at my drawings? "At what?"

He laughs lightly. "Your drawings."

"I thought you've already seen them."

He shakes his head. "I've seen you drawing them, I've never had the chance to look at them."

I glance at the drawing pad wondering how many drawings I have of him in there. Are they all good ones? I don't recall a drawing of him that I don't like. But they are all complete, yes? I rack my brain hoping I finished all the drawings. Are the lines good enough?

"You don't have to."

I look up at him. "Just don't judge them." I say quietly, reaching for the drawing pad.

"I won't."

I hold the book tightly before giving it over to him. I slump in my seat, waiting for him to open the book and look inside. Fortunately, the first drawing is the blonde mermaid, the first couple are actually. He doesn't come in until later in the book.

I almost want to laugh out loud at the fact that the guy I was drawing from my dreams is now looking at those pictures. It's like my dreams have leaped out of my head onto the page and then out of the page and before me. I put a hand near my mouth to cover the smile I can't help spreading across my face.

**